Filling-feeler mechanism for replenishing looms.



E'. A. & J. V. CUNNIFF.

FILLING FEELER MECHANISM FOR REPLENISHING LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I2I I912.

Patenwd Dec. 5,1916.

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wizasses: 5150M 6Lg APPLICATKON HLED DEC. 12, l9l2.

Patentgd Dec.- 5, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Wneas 66 ca., mwmun UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. CUNNIFF, OF NEW BEDFORD, AND JOHN V. CUNNIFF, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO JAMES K. LANNING, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FILLING-FEELER MECHANISM FOR REPLENISHING LOOIVIS.

Application filed December 12, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD A. CUNNIFF and JOHN V. CUNNIFF, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of New Bedford and Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Filling-Feeler Mechanism for Replenishing Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, a single embodiment thereof is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a loom having the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section upon the irregular line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail in transverse section through the shuttle and adjacent parts, indicating the position of the parts when the loom is running normally; Fig. 5 is a similar view representing the condition of the parts when shuttle replenishment is initiated; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

This invention particularly pertains to filling feeler mechanism for looms, by means of which when the filling is substantially exhausted or when it is broken the filling carrier may be automatically replenished.

lVe shall employ the term thread fault as a broad term to include thread exhaustion, either complete or substantial, thread breakage, etc.

In the present embodiment of the invention, there is illustrated a shuttle which preferably, when the filling is substantially exhausted, is ejected from the loom, but it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention, a bobbin or other filling carrier may be ejected from the shuttle. In other words, the invention is not limited in application to a loom wherefrom the running shuttle is ejected and a replenishing shuttle substituted, but it may be employed in a loom wherein the bobbin or other suitable weft carrier is ejected from the shuttle.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916 Serial No. 736,285.

lVhen the loom is used in the production of certain grades of work it is desirable to stop the loom upon weft breakage in order that the weft may always be inserted in the proper shed and loose ends be not left in the shed. Preferably, therefore, the filling feeler mechanism herein disclosed operates only or primarily when the filling is substantially exhausted, although (as fully disclosed hereinafter) the feeler mechanism is adapted to act, by suitable adjustment, to replenish when the weft is broken.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the lay of the loom is indicated at 1, the right hand end thereof only being indi cated. Upon the said end of the lay is mounted the usual shuttle back box 2 and the shuttle binder 3, the latter being pivoted at 4 upon the lay. A guide 5 is provided for the free end of the shuttle binder and a shuttle binder spring 6, preferably of usual construction, is also employed. The shuttle is indicated at 7. The shuttle binder 3 is provided with an opening 8 for the filling feeler to be hereinafter described, and the shuttle itself is also provided with an opening 8 in its lateral wall for the same purpose. Inasmuch as the shuttle or carrier replenishment occurs at the opposite side of i the loom from that here shown, the binder and shuttle box back at the right hand side of the loom may be and preferably are of usual construction, excepting for the slot 8 in the binder 3.

The breast beam is indicated at 9. Positioned fiatwisc thereon is the guide 10 for the weft fork slide 11, the latter having mounted thereon a tilting weft fork 12 preferably of usual construction. Adapted to coact with the inner hooked end 13 of the weft fork is a pawl 14 pivoted at 15 upon the breast beam and adapted to be swung upon its pivot by a rod 16 pivoted thereto and operatively connected to the weft hammer, which itself is actuated as usual by the weft cam upon the cam shaft of the loom or any other suitable operating part.

Preferably there is employed an extension or bracket to support certain of the operat ing parts of the mechanism embodying the invention. Herein there is represented an angled bracket 17, the end 18 whereof is secured to the upper face of the breast beam by means of bolts 19 passing through said bracket and through the guide for the weft fork slide, thereby securing both parts to the breast beam. The bracket 17 is herein represented in Figs. 1 and 3 as adjustable or extensible, it, for that purpose, being provided with an extensible piece 20 secured to the under face of the main bracket piece 17 by bolts 21 passing through slots in said parts in such way as to permit longitudinal.

adjustment thereof. In this manner, the at tachment embodying the invention may be applied to various sizes or forms of looms.

Upon the outer end of the extension piece 20 there is mounted a standard or bracket 21 having uprights 22 provided with alined bearing openings, wherein the filling feeler 23 is mounted to slide transversely of the shuttle. This filling feeler is provided with a head 24 which passes through the opening 8 of the binder and the corresponding opening 8 of the shuttle and engages the filling 25 upon the bobbin or other weft carrier at a suitable point, preferably at or near the base thereof. f

The filling feeler. 23 is normally held against the filling in any suitable manner. For that purpose, there is herein represented an arm 26 extending transversely of the feeler and bolted or otherwise secured thereto at its outer end. The said arm 26 is threaded into a cap or socket 27 mounted upon a base 28, said socket and base being secured to the bracket extension 20 by a screw 29 passing axially through the socket into said bracket extension 20. Surrounding the screw 29 and attached at its ends to the socket and base respectively is a coiled spring 30, the winding of which is such as to project the feeler 23 outwardly toward the shuttle. Undue outward movement of the feeler 23 is prevented by engagement of the arm 26 with one of the uprights 22, as represented in Fig. 5. (lo-acting with the feeler 23, there is preferably provided a member constituting a so-called strain remover for the feeler herein indicated at 31 as a light lever pivoted at 32 and partaking somewhat of the form of an ordinary weft fork. This member 31 removes all strain of shuttle replenishment from the feeler 23, and therefore the latter does not contact with the filling 25 of the shuttle with such force as to impair in any way the condition of said filling or to prevent its being properly fed from the shuttle during the normal operation of the loom. The spring is a light one, and the feeling contact of the feeler with the filling 25 is at all times a light contact. The said member 31 is herein represented as pivoted upon a horizontal lever33 which is itself pivoted at 34 upon the bracket 17. The pivot for the said lever 33 is provided with a coil spring 35 which is so connected with the lever and its pivotal support that the said spring tends normally to move the outer or right hand end of the lever (viewing Figs. 1 and 3) toward the lay of the loom. Preferably the said lever is provided with an extension 36 attached to the main body of the lever by bolts 37, 37. passing through slots in the parts, thus permitting longitudinal adjustment of said lever corresponding to the longitudinal ad justment of the bracket 17, 20. The opposite or left hand end of said lever 33 takes under an arm 38 pivotally connected with sufii-cient freedom of movementat 39 to a rock arm 40 fast upon a rock shaft 41, the latter being mounted in suitable bearings beneath the breast beam of the loom and extending to the opposite side of the loom where it is connected to the shuttle replenishing mechanism not herein disclosed. The said replenishing mechanism may be of any suitable type, such, for example, as that shown in our concurrently filed application Serial No. 736,284. It is, however, to be understood that the filling feeler mechanism herein claimed may be employed in connection with any suitable replenishing mechanism.

The left hand or inner end of the lever 33 is rounded or otherwise suitably formed as indicated at 42 in Fig. 2 to take under the arm 38 and to coact with the shoulder 43 upon the under side thereof. The outer or free end of the arm 38 is provided with a down-turned end 44, which is preferably transversely in line with the inner hooked end 13 of the weft fork12. The pawl 14 is made suificiently broad, so that it may engage and co-act with either or both the hooked end 13-of the filling fork 12 and the down turned end 44 ofthe arm 38, thereby to stop the loom upon breakage of the filling and to replenish the weft carrier or shuttle upon substantial exhaustion of the filling, and if desired also to replenish upon breakage of the filling.

The member 31 is bent upwardly substantially as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so as to provide a shoulder 45 in advance of its pivot 32 to be engaged by the near end 46 of the feeler 23 as indicated in Fig. 4. Upon each beat-up of the lay, the head of the filling feeler 23 .enters the shuttle, as indicated in Fig. 4, and contacts with the filling upon the bobbin, spindle or other carrier. long as the filling upon the carrier has not been. exhausted to that predetermined extent at which shuttle replenishment is de signed to occur, the filling feeler 23 is moved axially outward upon its support against the stress of the spring 30 by the said filling, and in so moving its outer end 46 contacts with the shoulder 45 of the member 31 and tilts the same upward into the position shown in Fig. 4. This action requires but a light engagement of the filling feeler 23 and the member 31. When, however, the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent as indicated in Fig. 5, then upon the beat-up of the lay the fillino' feeler 23 is no longer moved axially suffic1ently to tilt the member 31, and the outer end 47 thereof engages the shuttle box to initiate or cause shuttle replenishment. This initiatin action throws no strain upon the filling fee er 23, the strain being borne by the member 31 and the shuttle binder 3.

WVhile the end 47 of the member 31 may directly engage the binder 3 or any other suitable part of the lay for weft replenishment, preferably there is provided upon the outer wall of the binder 3 a plate 48 adjustably secured in position by suitable bolts and nuts 49, thereby permitting the position of said plate to be accurately gaged with respect to the face of the binder. If de sired, the said plate may be notched or grooved as indicated at 50 for the engagement of the end 47 of the member 31.

The weft fork slide 11 has at its rear end a downward extension 51 against which bears a finger 52 which is sleeved as indicated at 53 upon the rock shaft 41. The sleeved portion of said finger is provided with a set bolt 54, whereby if desired the sleeved portion 53 of said finger 52 may be made fast upon said rock shaft 41. The said bolt 54 may, however, be sufiiciently loose so that rocking movement of the finger 52 is not transmitted to the rock shaft 41. So long as the filling has not been exhausted to the described predetermined extent, then, upon each beat-up of the lay, the filling feeler 23 is moved axially and tilts the member 31 as indicated in Fig. 4. Then, however, the filling has been exhausted to the predetermined extent, then upon the next beat-up of the lay the filling feeler 23 remains substantially quiescent or does not rock the member 31, with the result that the end 47 of said member remains in the path of and is struck by the plate 48, and thus swings rearwardly the right hand or outer end of the lever 33, viewing Figs. 1 and 3. This correspondingly moves the inner rounded end 42 of the lever 33 inward toward the lay of the loom,that is, slightly to the right of the position indicated in Fig. 2. This movement of the lever 33 carries its inner end 42 from under the shoulder 43 of the arm 38 sufficiently to let the downturned end 44 of the said arm come into the path of the swinging pawl 14. Upon the next actuation of the said paWl 14 by the weft hammer of the loom or otherwise, the said arm 38 is moved rearwardly or to the left, viewing Fig. 2, and hence rocks the shaft 41 and therefore initiates the movement of the weft carrier replenishing mechanism at the other side of the loom.

The pawl 14 not only co-acts with the down-turned end 44 of the arm 38, thereby to replenish upon predetermined exhaustion of the filling, but the said pawl also co-acts with the hooked end 13 of the filling fork 12, which in the usual manner is tilted so long as the weft is present, but remains untilted when the weft breaks. Then the weft breaks, the pawl 1.4 engages the said hooked end 13 of the weft fork and consequently moves the weft fork slide 11 rearwardly or to the left viewing Fig. 2. If now the finger 52 be fast upon the rock shaft 41, as by the tightening up of the bolt 54, then it is evident that the rock shaft 41 is rocked upon breakage of the weft and that shuttle replenishing therefore occurs upon breakage of the weft. Preferably, however, for plain looms or looms working upon the cheaper grades of cloth, it is not desirable to replenish the shuttle or filling carrier upon weft breakage. It is preferable to stop the loom upon such contingency. Therefore, preferably the finger 52 is not tightened upon the rock shaft 41 when making the cheaper grades of cloth, but within the scope of the invention, replenishment may occur in either contingency. If it be not desired to replenish upon weft breakage, then the usual dagger and co-acting parts are provided upon the lay in order to stop the loom upon weft breakage. This stop mechanism may be of any suitable character and associated in any suitable manner with the weft hammer mechanism. It is not. however, herein shown, as 100 it does not of itself constitute any part of the present invention.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are em- 105 ploycd, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, shuttle actuating mechanism, a filling feeler, a strain remover for the feeler mounted in the path of movement of and adapted to be directly 115 engaged by said filling feeler, cooperating means to move said strain remover upon thread fault and filling replenishment connections operatively connected to said strain remover.

2. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, shuttle actuating mechanism, weft hammer mechanism, a filling feeler to contact with the filling of the running shuttle, a strain remover 125 for the feeler mounted in the path of movement of and adapted to be directly engaged by said filling feeler and cooperating means to move said strain remover upon thread fault.

has

3. Filling-feeler mechanism for replenishing-looms comprising in combination, shuttleactuating mechanism, a filling feeler to contact'with the filling of the running shuttle, a pivoted strain remover for the feeler mounted in the path of movement of and adapted to be directly engaged by said filling feeler and controlled thereby, cooperating means to move said strain remover upon thread fault, and filling replenishment connections operatively connected to said strain remover.

4. Filling feeler mechanism for replen ishing looms comprising in combination, shuttle actuating mechanism, a filling tfeeler to contact with the filling of the running shuttle, a strain remover for the feeler mounted in the path of movement of and adapted to be directly engaged by said filling feeler, cooperating means to move said strain removerupon thread fault, and filling replenishment connections operatively connected to said strain remover.

Filling feeler mechanism for replenishinglooms comprising in combination, shuttle actuating mechanism, a filling feeler to contact'with the filling of the running shuttle, a strain remover for the feeler mounted in the path of movement of and adapted to be directly engaged by said filling feeler,

said strain remover being adapted to contact with the shuttle box upon substantial exhaustion of the filling and adapted to be moved in non-actuating position by engagement therewith ofthe filling feeler, and filling replenishment connections operatively connected to said strain remover.

6." Filling feeler mechanism'for replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box, a movable filling feeler upon the breast beam, to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member pivotally supported upon the breast beam in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and extending into the path of movement of the shuttle box, and filling replenishment connections operatively associated with said member.

7. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box, a movable filling feeler upon the breast beam, to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member pivotally supported upon the breast beam in the path of movement of and adapted to be'engaged 'by'said filling feeler and extending into the path of movement of the shuttle box, a movable member whereon said first mentioned member is mounted, and filling replenishment connections operatively connected to said movable member. 7

8. :Filling feeler mechanismfor replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle'box, a movable'filling feeler upon the breast beam, to contact with the tioned member is mounted, weft fork slide mechanism, the operation whereof is controlledby said movablemember, and weft replenishment connections actuated 1 by said weft fork slide mechanism.

9. Filling feeler mechanismfor replenishing looms comprising in combination, .a lay having a shuttle box, a movable fillingifeeler upon the breast beam, tocontact withthe filling in the shuttle, a member pivotally supported upon the breast beam in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and extending into the path of movement of the shuttle box, a lever whereon said member ismounted, yielding means to move said lever toward said shuttle box, and weft replenishment connections actuated by filling-exhaustion-induced movement of said lever.

10. Filling feeler mechanism'for replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box,.a movable filling feeler upon the breast beam, to contactwith the filling in the shuttle, a member pivotally supported upon the breast beam in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler andv extending into the path of movement of the shuttle box, a lever spring pressed toward the said shuttle box, and Whereon said member is mounted, an arm operatively connected to the replenishment mechanism, and normally held in inactive position by said lever, and means to actuate said arm when actively positioned upon movement of said. lever.

'11. Filling feeler mechanism forcreplenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box, a movable filling feeler upon the breast beam, to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member pivotally supported upon the breast beam in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and extending into the path of movement of the shuttle box, a lever whereon said member is mounted, a slide arm the position whereof is controlled by said lever, a second member actuated by the weft hammer mechanism and adapted to act upon said slide arm, and filling replenishment connections actuated by said slide arm when the latter is actuated by said second member.

12. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box provided with an apertured side wall, a slidable filling feeler adapted to penetrate said wall and to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member positioned in theipathof and to be engaged by said filling feeler and also by the shuttle box wall, and filling replenishment connections controlled by said member.

13. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination a lay having a shuttle box provided with an apertured side wall, a movable feeler adapted to penetrate said wall and to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member positioned in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and moved thereby out of actuating position prior to substantial filling exhaustion, said member when in actuating position being in the path of movement of the lay, and filling replenishment connections actuated by said member.

14. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination a lay having a shuttle box provided with an apertured side wall, a movable feeler adapted to penetrate said wall and to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member positioned in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and moved thereby out of actuating position prior to substantial filling exhaustion, said member when in actuating position being in the path of movement of the lay, a movable member whereon said first mentioned member is mounted, filling replenishment connections and means operatively associating said connections and said movable member.

15. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box provided with an apertured side wall, a movable feeler adapted to penetrate said wall and to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member positioned in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and moved thereby out of actuating position prior to substantial filling exhaustion, said member when in actuating position being in the path of movement of the lay, a filling fork, a movable member adjacent thereto, filling replenishment connections associated with said last mentioned member, and a weft hammer actuated device adapted to act upon both said filling fork and said last mentioned member.

16. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box provided with an apertured side wall, a movable feeler adapted to penetrate said wall and to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member p0si tioned in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and moved thereby out of actuating position prior to substantial filling exhaustion, said member when in actuating position being in the path of movement of the lay, filling failure indicating means, a movable member adjacent thereto and operatively connected to filling replenishment mechanism, a weft hammer-actuated device to act upon both said filling fork and said last mentioned member, and operative connections between said members.

17. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, a lay having a shuttle box provided with an apertured side wall, a movable feeler adapted to penetrate said wall and to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member positioned in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and moved thereby out of actuating position prior to substantial filling exhaustion, said member when in actuating position being in the path of movement of the lay, a rock shaft, two devices mounted thereon, a weft fork operatively connected to one of said devices, a slide arm operatively connected to the other device, weft hammer actuated means adapted to operate upon both said weft fork and said slide arm, and operating connections between said slide arm and said member.

18. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination a lay having a shuttle box provided with an apertured side wall, a movable feeler adapted to penetrate said wall and to contact with the filling in the shuttle, a member positioned in the path of movement of and adapted to be engaged by said filling feeler and moved thereby out of actuating position prior to substantial filling exhaustion, an adjustable plate upon said apertured shuttle box wall, said member when in actuating position being in the path of movement of said plate, and filling replenishment connections actuated by said member.

19. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, shuttle actuating mechanism, a filling feeler to contact with the filling of the running shuttle, a member pivoted for movement in a vertical plane and having its under edge formed as a cam with which the filling feeler directly engages to impart swinging movement thereto, and filling replenishment connections operatively connected to said member.

20. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination, shuttle actuating mechanism, weft fork slide mechanism, a filling feeler to contact with the filling of the running shuttle, operating connections between said filling feeler and said weft fork slide mechanism and including a member mounted in the path of movement of said filling feeler, cooperating means to move said member upon thread fault, and replenishing connections operated by said weft fork slide mechanism.

21. Filling feeler mechanism for replenishing looms comprising in combination,

shuttle actuating mechanism, Weft fork slide names to this specification, in the presence of mechanism, a fillirg feel?- 213, a member 31 two subscribing witnesses. with which said llin ee er contacts, cooperating means to mo i e said member upon gg 6 E E1 thread fault and replenishing connections v V 33, 38 and rock shaft 41 operated by said Witnesses: Weft fork slide mechanism. IRVING U. TOWNSEND, In testimony whereof, e have signed our ,HENRY F. NIOKERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D G. 

